Midori Melon Liqueur: The Bright Green Star of the Bar

Enjoy the Sweet Melon Taste of a Midori Cocktail or Two

Midori's melon flavor is reflected in it's vivid green color and the texture on the bottle. It is a fun liqueur for creating green cocktails. John Carey / Photolibrary / Getty Images

Midori is the bright green liquor bottle that shines behind bars across the world. Its beauty extends inside to the sweet melon liqueur which bartenders use to create amazing green cocktails. In just a few decades, Midori has captivated drinkers and bartenders alike and it has transformed the cocktail scene.

What is Midori?

The color is a beautiful vivid green and it is often used in cocktails for that characteristic.

The flavor is a luscious, sweet melon that pairs well with a variety of other flavors.

Midori was launched in the U.S. in 1978 by the Japanese whiskey and beer maker, Suntory. Quite a bit has changed since that first release party at New York City's famous Studio 54 nightclub and Midori has certainly found its place in the world.

The Taste of Midori

I would not peg it to a specific type of melon, but more of a mix. This is only right because Midori is made from two types of melon.

Yubari King Melon - Often touted as the most expensive fruit, yubari melons are a cross between two cantaloupes and are grown near Yubari City in Japan. It has a juicy sweetness and orange flesh.

Musk Melon - The musk melons used to make Midori are grown in the Aichi and Shizuoka provinces of Japan. Another high-quality melon, this is a juicy fruit with an amazing sweetness. It has a green flesh which inspired the green color of Midori.

Fun Fact: Japan is noted as having the best melon growers in the world. The fruit is also among the most expensive with some auction reports stating that a pair of melons sold for over $20,000. The average yubari can run $50-100 in Japan.

Many bartenders are moving beyond that super fruity cocktail and mixing Midori with contrasting flavors. It's surprising how well some of these combinations work, but they do and they're certainly worth tasting if you're up for a bit of an adventure.

Midori Shooter Recipes

Midori's green color makes it a tempting liqueur for mixing up party shots as well. If a shooter includes Midori, it's likely to be one that tastes good and sometimes they can be just a little too good.

I will end with the caveat that the liquor industry has seen many shake-ups over the last two decades. Brands are being bought and sold and the liquor giants have merged many times to create just a few companies that own most of the liquor we drink.